1 tsp olive oil
1/4 lb hot italian sausage, casings removed
1 lg onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 lg rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can no-salt added whole tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 lb fusilli OR other short pasta twists
1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut across the grain into 1/4″ wide strips

in a lg skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. crumble in the sausage and cook until the sausage is no longer pink, 2-3 minutes.

add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry until the onion begins brown, about 5 minutes.

add the bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, salt, hot pepper sauce, cayenne, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer while you cook the pasta.

in a large pot of boiling water cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions.

uncover the sauce and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. remove the skillet from the heat.

drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce, spoon the sauce over the pasta, and toss to coat.

serves 4